Hello all, its been awhile since ive last posted.It seems i only post here when Socks is having health issues as i have found great info/advice here. im sorry for that.

Socks is right around the corner from having his 12th bday! but old age has crept up on him in a not so graceful manor. When socks was just under a year old the vet diagnosed him with hip dysplasia.Ever since then i kept him well exercised and on a regiment of glucosamin pills.He had his occasional flare ups of pain but nothing ever to serious.

Well the other night Socks was whining ever 5 min, something at first i didnt pay to much mind to as he has learned to manipulate me by doing just that (smart little guy). but this time he didnt stop and was having a hard time walking. his rear legs were just not moving right and he would just randomly drop.it made me cry and im a grown man...

so i took socks to the vet the very next morning ( a new vet we started seeing about 5 years ago). he did the "paw" test where they flip the paw upside down and the dog naturally will lift right side up, socks wouldnt do that all the time and the doc was afraid it was something neurological and recommended xrays. i agreed.

with the xrays done the doc called me back to look at them. he said the good news is socks doesnt have hip dysplasia.. ok.. but he had a narrowing of the spine down towards his tail.the small holes that the nerves exit the vertebra was also smaller as they went back,calcified from arthritis? he was sure this was what was causing the problem. so he put him on some steroids.

now the vet directed my attention to his hip area, the "wing" portion of his pelvis to be more exact. the bone looked all "moth eaten" (vets words) and he said that was typical of bone cancer... i was speechless.... he then said but it has some non typical associations that bone cancer doesnt have. he said its crossing a joint and bone cancer doesnt do that and also his lungs are clear and typically bone cancer spreads to the lungs very fast. all that with how long i told him this has been going on (his odd walking and pain) the vet doesnt think its cancer and said bone cancer is a fast moving disease. he wants me to bring him back in 2-3 weeks for more xrays. he said if it was cancer it would of spread by then. i asked if it wasnt that what could it be, he said bad blood flow etc. but we will wait till the xrays.

so here i sit trying to make socks as comfortable as possible. he is doing better but still walking weird (more then normal). i guess i wrote all this to share and to hear any opinions you might have. in the end it comes down to the fact im scared.

Wishing you both all the best & fingers crossed. How scary. My vet did say that in addition to steroids that some dogs with back issues can respond really well to other treatments like chiropractic care. Just an idea.

I remember Socks; he's a really handsome and clearly beloved guy. I'm really pulling for him and you both!!

I wouldn't wait 2-3 weeks for another set of x-rays. I'd be x-raying the rest of the dogs bones and looking for more cancer. Some types of bone cancer are tough to treat, like osteosarcoma, but others, like multiple myeloma, are simple and cheap. Multiple myeloma is much less common, but due to the location of the lesion in your dog, its higher on the list of possibilities. If you wait 2-3 weeks, it could be too late.

If there's any chance you would treat this more aggressively than what you are doing now (keeping him comfortable), then I would push for more diagnostics, like more x-rays, a second opinion, or a bone biopsy.

Misskiwi67 wrote:I wouldn't wait 2-3 weeks for another set of x-rays. I'd be x-raying the rest of the dogs bones and looking for more cancer. Some types of bone cancer are tough to treat, like osteosarcoma, but others, like multiple myeloma, are simple and cheap. Multiple myeloma is much less common, but due to the location of the lesion in your dog, its higher on the list of possibilities. If you wait 2-3 weeks, it could be too late.

If there's any chance you would treat this more aggressively than what you are doing now (keeping him comfortable), then I would push for more diagnostics, like more x-rays, a second opinion, or a bone biopsy.

my vet doesnt even know if it is cancer.he said since socks has been dealing with these issues for awhile he doubts that it is.

today he seems to be doing better. he ran a little outside and isnt really looking like he is in pain. his gate is still odd. though.

twisted wrote:my vet doesnt even know if it is cancer.he said since socks has been dealing with these issues for awhile he doubts that it is.

I'm very sorry and I'm sure you'd rather believe its nothing, but moth-eaten bone in a 12 year old dog = cancer until proven otherwise. Secondary alternative is infection, also a serious concern. Up to you if you want to do more, just giving you your options.

You asked for a vet to weigh in, and thats my response from your first description. Of course I haven't seen your pup or the x-rays, so it doesn't mean much...

Why not get another opinion from a second vet-even if it's just for piece of mind? If the diagnosis won't change the way you're handling the situation-then don't bother. Why waste the money? But if there was something else you would consider doing for Socks, I'd strongly suggest getting another opinion.

That's a tough situation to be in. 12 years is a pretty good run for a PB and if it were me, I don't know how much more than "keeping him comfortable" I would do. I know everyone is going to be different in their response to a situation like that, but I'd just hate for you to feel like "coulda, shoulda, woulda" you know?

Misskiwi67, i totally appreciate your input and iam taking it to heart.i put a phone call into my vet to see if he can explain it to me a little better and to tell him what ive learned here.

i will admit, iam a bit overwhelmed with what to do. money is tight as always and i hate to put that up as an excuse but its just how it is. i mean dont get me wrong, if something needs to be done i will find a way.its that simple.

as for an update on socks, he is doing much better. he can walk better and is going up and down the stairs well. that brings a smile to my face.

twisted wrote:Misskiwi67, i totally appreciate your input and iam taking it to heart.i put a phone call into my vet to see if he can explain it to me a little better and to tell him what ive learned here.

i will admit, iam a bit overwhelmed with what to do. money is tight as always and i hate to put that up as an excuse but its just how it is. i mean dont get me wrong, if something needs to be done i will find a way.its that simple.

as for an update on socks, he is doing much better. he can walk better and is going up and down the stairs well. that brings a smile to my face.

thank you all again.

Money is tight for everyone it seems, and sometimes keeping them comfortable is all you can do. As long as you can do that much, its more than enough. Don't feel like you have to do chemotherapy or anything else expensive and aggressive just because its available. There are a lot of options, and those options are more clear with better information. I just want the same thing Jamie said, for you to be able to think back about the good times 5 years from now, and not the "coulda, shoulda, woulda's"...

update... socks is showing improvement daily. i talked to my vet yesterday on the phone to help me with some confusion i had about his situation.

socks did have a pretty good full xray when the vet checked his lungs and said he didnt see any more bone issues.he thinks because of where the moth eaten bone is (the wing of his pelvis) and that there is no other singes of "moth eaten bone" along with how it crosses a joint makes him think that its not bone cancer but more likely "A vascular necrosis". he also said with bone cancer you see a nodule or growth on the bone and he didnt see any of that.

now dont take my poor interpretation of what my vet told me and hold it against me. im trying my best

socks was also put on prednisone and a pain med that i dont know off the top of my head. ( i did have to fill it at a pharmacy though). ill get the name tomorrow.

Today is his birthday! he turned 12 years old today. seems just like yesterday he fit in my hand.

he is doing better and the vet is weening him off his prednisone to see how he does. he is still on his other pain meds.gabepentine? ill have to look at the bottle to get the exact name. next week he goes in for more xrays. fingers crossed.

Today is his birthday! he turned 12 years old today. seems just like yesterday he fit in my hand.

he is doing better and the vet is weening him off his prednisone to see how he does. he is still on his other pain meds.gabepentine? ill have to look at the bottle to get the exact name. next week he goes in for more xrays. fingers crossed.

Today is his birthday! he turned 12 years old today. seems just like yesterday he fit in my hand.

he is doing better and the vet is weening him off his prednisone to see how he does. he is still on his other pain meds.gabepentine? ill have to look at the bottle to get the exact name. next week he goes in for more xrays. fingers crossed.

Gabapentin - great stuff!!

Happy Birthday Socks!!!

seems to be working for him. i was a little shocked to find out i have to get that from the "human" pharmacy. my vet wrote me a prescription. i didn't know that happened.